A Moan At @DavidLloydUK About #Equality & #Accessibility

So, here’s a little email that I sent to my local David Lloyd leisure club after being told that the accessible access gate isn’t faulty, instead they’ve disconnected it. Why post the email online? Well, mainly because when verbally complaining, staff attempted the “think of the children” emotional line with me because unattended children had used the gate to leave the club. I have kids – I rather hold that it’s my responsibility to make sure that they behave. (Give it a few years when they’re teens, that comment may come back to haunt me). The next reason almost had me speechless. Almost.

I shall post their reply once received…

Dear Sirs,

The Disability Discrimination Act (1995) states that it is unlawful for a service provider, without lawful justification, to treat a person who is disabled less favourably than other people for a reason related to his or her disability. Less favourable treatment might occur if a disabled person is refused a service that others are receiving, or is provided with a service of a poorer quality than that which others are receiving.

Able bodied members of the David Lloyd club in Worthing may access the club via an NFC turnstile system which automatically grants access. Previously, this was the same for the accessible gate for disabled & pushchair users. This is no longer the case.

I am a full time wheelchair user and currently in order to enter or leave the building, I am required to verbally attract a member of staff at reception who then must press a button to open the gate & let me through. Not only is this often not appropriate as other members quite rightly require the receptionists’ attention, but doing so draws attention to my disability and makes me disinclined to make full use of the club. The very fact that I am not able to make use of the specifically installed disabled access gate without staff assistance because it has been disconnected from the NFC pad contravenes the above Act as a poorer quality of service is being provided specifically because of my physical disability.

On a number of occasions I have requested that the disabled access gate be reconnected to the NFC card system as above and my request has been declined. Today, I spoke to your Sales Manager of the Worthing club at which we hold a full family membership. Upon requesting a date when the gate would be fixed, I was informed that it would “never be reconnected”. The reasons stated for this were that other members had been attempting to let non members into the club, that thefts had occurred, and that children had used the gate to leave the club. Based upon the legislation above, I will address each of these below.

On the matter of members allowing non-members into the club, this is surely a matter of insisting that all members use the turnstile gates unless they are pushing a pram or have a physical need to use the gate. This onus is on the club staff. It is not acceptable to remove equity of service to disabled club members where a reasonable alternative is available, albeit not as easy to implement.

Where theft was used as an excuse to remove the equality of service, even if it was proved that thefts were directly linked to non-members, again it is not acceptable to provide poorer services to those with a disability when a reasonable solution would be to use the turnstiles as above and expand cctv coverage.

Finally, to address the matter of children using the gate to ‘escape’, with the exit turnstiles entirely open to exactly the same this is essentially a non-argument as these have not been closed off in any way. However, to give it consideration, across the rest of the club parents are reminded that they are responsible for the behaviour of their children. I am baffled as to why this would not apply to the front doors.

I would therefore appreciate your response as to how you intend to ensure that equal access to the club’s facilities will be provided for all members with reference to the Equality Act above.

Regards

Mrs B

Blog notes:

Now for you who are saying it’s just a door, I know. But actually it’s more than that. It’s a general attitude that people with disabilities shouldn’t complain & just be grateful that something is provided. Or that there are fewer of us, so the majority is more important. Conversely, there might be more if they could get in without being highlighted as ‘other’.

And for those who I can hear audibly tutting because the person with disabilities dares to be a member of a decent health club. 1 – it’s none of your business. 2 – I work full time, so any stereotype of me using taxpayers money to swan about can be put to bed. 3 – and even if I wasn’t working, my club membership allows me to keep up hydrotherapy in a warm pool which reduces my need to use the NHS pool (at real expense) and subsequently other NHS services as physiotherapy keeps me as good as it gets. And urgh that I feel I need to justify myself.

Edit – their initial response. Which I feel just repeats the reasons I have listed. I’d be interested in your thoughts.

Good Afternoon Holly,

Thank you for your recent email regarding the use of the gate at Reception.

Our Members requirements are highly important to us and we aim to provide you with the best service and facilities that we can.

The Club chose to remove the card reader at the gate approximately 4 years ago for the reasons more fully explained below:

1. Members were taking the easy route and not swiping their card2. Non members had gained access3. There was never a card reader to exit the Club – Reception still needed to open for families with push chairs, Members who use a trolley style sports bag as well as for our disabled Members

With regard to health and safety, we also had to look at the fact that if an exit card reader were to be provided, kids could exit the club without parents knowing.

However, with all of this in mind we want you to feel comfortable and happy when using the Club therefore your points have been raised by [redacted], General Manager to the Team here at Head Office.

Currently, there is a Team here at Head Office reviewing card readers and service issues in our Clubs therefore please note that this is all under review.

Personally, I completely understand why you feel this way as I would perhaps feel the same if I had to keep getting the attention of a Team Member every time I wanted to enter or leave the Club.However, I also do understand why for health and safety reasons we have taken the reader away.

I would like to thank you for your email and would like to assure you that [redacted] will be speaking with the Reception Team to ensure that for now (until we may add the card reader again) they are vigilant and quick to open the gate when necessary.